Delta Just Bought $US5.6 Billion Worth Of Airbus Jets

Delta has ordered 40 Airbus jets worth $US5.6 billion, it announced this morning. It will take delivery of the 10 widebody A330-300 and 30 narrowbody A321 jets between 2015 and 2017.

The aircraft, Delta said, will be used to renew its fleet and will help it in “diligently managing capacity.”

The new A330-300s will be used for international flights over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Their seating plan will include 34 full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite class, 32 extra-legroom seats in Economy Comfort, and 227 Economy spots. The A330-300s Delta flies now have a nearly identical setup, but have 232 Economy seats.

The A321 jets are a new presence in Delta’s fleet. They will join the airline’s 126 A320 and A319 planes on domestic routes. They will seat 190 passengers, and be equipped with wingtip sharklets, which boost fuel economy by as much as 4%.

Many of the A321s will be built at Airbus’ new plant in Mobile, Alabama, the plane manufacturer said on Twitter.

Delta’s current fleet totals 727 planes, with an average age of 17.2 years. Of those, 158 are made by Airbus. 374 come from Boeing, Airbus’ chief competitor.